TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WIAT) — A life jacket and some quick thinking helped save the life of a Tuscaloosa woman. She was thrown from an inner-tube and knocked unconscious while celebrating Memorial Day on the Black Warrior River. Marine Police think if Alana Thomas had not been wearing the life jacket, she may have drowned.

“I attribute that to the life jacket, you know, keeping her above water. If they had not been so quick to notice that she was not responsive and that she was face down, it could have turned out a lot worse than what it did.” -Freddie Ingram, Marine Police

They want people to understand, even if you’re a great swimmer, you can still get into a dangerous and unexpected situation. Freddie Ingram of the Marine Police said of his fellow officers, “they were just glad that they were able to get back to her and get her back on the boat really quickly, and I attribute that to the life jacket, you know, keeping her above water. If they had not been so quick to notice that she was not responsive and that she was face down, it could have turned out a lot worse than what it did.”